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Big Kahuna, anyone?
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Big Kahuna was a great race once again. And a simply gorgeous day. I had a huge PR despite the "extended" swim. Anyone know what the actual distance was? I heard estimates of 1.5-1.6 miles.

I saw some pretty hideous drafting on the bike course. People! If you're gonna cheat, do your friends a favor and don't wear your club gear!

I also saw that both Pete and Shari Kain DNF'd. Bummer! Anyone know what happened?
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Re: Big Kahuna, anyone? [Ariel] [ In reply to ]
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Great race indeed. It was the first time for me and the swim felt long. I have been told that it was 1.6Miles..

I have seen quite a bit of drafting on highway 1 as well. I thought that it was quite dangerous to pass in some areas with cars coming in both directions. I was stuck myself a few time behind some guys waiting for cars to pass us before passing.

-Lionel
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Re: Big Kahuna, anyone? [Ariel] [ In reply to ]
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I, too, would like to know the exact swim distance. I would guess around 1.5 miles.

I also witnessed extended drafting. # 604 was within 2 feet of the same rider for a good 4 minutes, 50 yards in front of me. I finally passed him and asked him if he was going to sit in there for the whole race and reminded him it was non drafting. A few minutes later, he was drafting of me until I realized it and hit the breaks to force him to pass me. Incredible!
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Re: Big Kahuna, anyone? [Trirunner] [ In reply to ]
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I heard 1.6 miles (second hand supposedly from the RD). Too bad I only applied enough Body Glide to last 1.2 miles ;).

Awesome race. Didn't see too much drafting where I was at although the race appeared to be a little more bunched up on the way out as I was on my way in. I only saw blatant drafting once from two women with about 10 miles to go. I gave a friendly "Break it up girls" as I rode by.

OT
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Re: Big Kahuna, anyone? [Ariel] [ In reply to ]
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Swim was definitely long - I'd estimate about 1.5 miles. Its always hard with currents in the ocean but I really doubt it was as long as 1.6 miles. The Kains went 21:01 and 25:47 last year and 31:24 and 36:35 this year so 10 minutes slower, but last year must have been quite short.

I heard that the course was 1.6 miles but that would've made my 1.2 mile equivalent time sub 25:30 which is too fast. For my effort/strength currently I thought I would've gone about 27-28 which made the swim about 6+ minutes long - my estimate (again) is a 1.5 mile swim.....

Couple of those mile markers were way off on the run.....

Beautiful day - amazing weather - beautiful scenery - cars weren't too bad. Swim course markings needed to be bigger/more frequent - those buoys were hard to see and the sun heading west was tough on the eyes/spotting. Food after the race was weak. Volunteers did a good job. Cytomax - fruit punch wasn't the best - no coke on the run - needed more aid stations on the run (I'm spoiled by the station every 1 mile) and needed both water and cytomax at every station. I think the bike and run were fairly accurate total distance-wise. Seems like the course should've been faster than it was.....

Overall I was happy and would do it again - fun race though the soft sand finish was a bit brutal.....
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Re: Big Kahuna, anyone? [Ariel] [ In reply to ]
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"I saw some pretty hideous drafting on the bike course. People! If you're gonna cheat, do your friends a favor and don't wear your club gear!"

Funny you should say that, because in the Half IM I did last weekend, there was this group of three guys, all in club gear, within 1 bike length of each other throughout the hilly portion of the course, about 15 miles. They were grunting and swearing at/to each other(I thought I left that behind with the knuckleheads at the gym, but I guess there's room for meatheads everywhere), pulling each other up hills, and blocking on the flats and downhills. There were tight twisty country roads, too, so trying to get by the guy on the double yellow was risky to say the least. And these were the guys who stand on every climb, then coast on every flat, and scrub most of their speed on the corners, so I was pretty miserable trying to maintain a good speed on the flats and corners.

After the road flattened out again, I smoked two of them, and only one pulled away from me, but the experience soured me on tri clubs, not that I've ever been much of a joiner.

The beautiful irony of this is that every year at the big local club meets there are allegations of drafting, and the guys in the team jerseys get all pissy saying you can't just accuse people of drafting because they are riding ten in a row, right on each other's wheels, all in the same clothes. It's a crowded course people!

Sorry about the rant, but I am disgusted by people who use their club affiliation to unfair advantage. It undermines the entire point of the sport, and that of the clubs as well. And I would argue that yes, club members drafting are worse than regular drafters, since the clubs are supposed to represent and bring out the best in people and in the sport.

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Re: Big Kahuna, anyone? [Ariel] [ In reply to ]
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Glad to hear it wasn't just whinie ole me that thought the swim was long. When I saw my swim time I just figured I had a bad day.

I didn't see much drafting going on, but I don't really concern myself with it as long as your not drafting on me. There was only one time when I had to brush someone off. If a bunch of clubbers want to make it a social event, they don't change my time and I am certainly not concerned about my placing. The only thing that did annoy me are people who can't get their foot into the shoe while it is clipped on the pedal in a reasonable amount of time. I had a guy in front of me almost take me out twice trying to rachet in roadie shoes. The other is probably four or five times I would be passed by someone that used so much energy getting by, that once there, they immediately had to drink and refuel. They achieved their goal and now it was time to rest. If you can not pass someone and maintain that effort for at least another 1/2 mile, may passing isn't the best idea.

The event was a great time. Plenty for your family to do while there made it a great end of summer trip. Will definitely be there next year.

Brian
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Re: Big Kahuna, anyone? [jmorrissey] [ In reply to ]
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I think you should name the club, and the numbers, if you can remember. Ranting alone will not change anything.
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Re: Big Kahuna, anyone? [Ariel] [ In reply to ]
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Pete and Shari both planned to step off the course after the bike due to various injuries and ailments.
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Re: Big Kahuna, anyone? [LarryCalifornia] [ In reply to ]
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I did see 4-5 people cut the run at the water station when you went out on the bluff. There would have been more, including me, had one of the aid station volunteers not stopped us.

I will definitely be there next year, but now I remember something else about the swim. The first wave turned WAY short of the bouy and had to turn back out on to the course. Does anyone know what happened there? Did the "lead paddleboarder" take them the wrong way?

Brian
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Re: Big Kahuna, anyone? [pedalincoastal] [ In reply to ]
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"The first wave turned WAY short of the bouy and had to turn back out on to the course. Does anyone know what happened there? Did the "lead paddleboarder" take them the wrong way?"

Well, it probably has to do with the fact that when they left, the first bouy was the one further than the pier, on the far right extremity of the swim course. As they were swimming, an intermediate bouy was being installed. I did not quite see how it affected them as I was on the 2nd wave, but I wondered how they handled that extra bouy.
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Re: Big Kahuna, anyone? [Trirunner] [ In reply to ]
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Tried to just send this to you but you don't have your email listed. Just curious, why?

There were two bouys when they left. The yellow triangle where the sailboat was anchored and the large orange round one outside of the pier. It looked as though as soon as they got to the end of the pier, they turned south and got sent back on the course. I am not sure which bouy on the right you are referring to, because the instructions were to keep the bouys on your left side. They never swam in a north(right) direction. The course was all left turns, they just turned left to soon. Did you not turn south(left) after the second bouy?

Brian
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Re: Big Kahuna, anyone? [pedalincoastal] [ In reply to ]
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OK. I meant the bouy the further from the start and towards the right of the course (if you were to look at it from a helicopter) - the one you call the 2nd bouy. The point I was trying to make was that when you say that we had to turn left after the 2nd bouy, well that bouy was the fist one when the 1st wave left, but then as the 1st wave was swimming, they placed an intermediate bouy between that one and the start. It did not affect me as I was in the 2nd wave, but I see how that could have confused the fastest swimmers of the 1st wave.

You can send me a private message if you want my email.
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